It was a surreal experience seeing this collection of people back together almost ten years later. Well almost everyone was back together. As much as I was enjoying catching up with these guys, the person I had been most anxious to see still hadn't shown his face.
There was that ever-present stomach pit you get when you realize you got all excited on your own. I had been so giddy to see Eden again and live in the same place that I just assumed he'd felt the same. Maybe I was being that classic younger sibling and he'd prefer to have his space...
It was a little disappointing he didn't come and seek me out. If our situations had been reversed, I would have been at the party, eyes trained on the door until he arrived. Didn't he... want to see me?
I was being ridiculous of course.
This is what happens in a world without cell phones. I wished I could just text him like: [Just got in, lol, Come 2 the party u nerd] but since I couldn't I was stuck in my head making excuses about why he wasn't already here.
I might have been letting my gaze wander a bit too much and Clara, ever perceptive, noticed. "Is something wrong Briar?"
I bit the inside of my cheek, "I was just wondering... have you been seeing Eden around since you arrived at the castle?"
Gwen's eyes narrowed and a smile that could only fit a villainess crossed her lips. "Yes Clara, have you been seeing Briar's cherished older brother?"
Oh right, I forgot about that little piece of history.
Clara had been slightly more subdued from the moment the boys had appeared but now she practically bristled and sent us both a steely look. "I don't know what you are implying. I donated my handkerchief back when we were ten. If I had known then the amount of times I would be hearing about it after the fact, I would have never let him keep it."
"Geez," I said. "I just meant, like, at all? I was just wondering where he was."
"O-oh," she said, her defences lowering with some embarrassment. "Sorry Briar I just-" She glanced at the two princes still in our presence and faltered. "We can talk later. No, I haven't seen him."
I sighed.
Prince Luther smiled. "I wouldn't fret too much, this is probably the busiest day he's going to have. He was the one in charge of setting up today's reception but it is unfortunately coinciding with some work he is doing administratively with some reformations we will be making to the military training regime."
"Reformations?" Clara asked in surprise, "this is the first I'm hearing of this."
"All will be unveiled soon," the Prince promised with a cryptic smile.
I was mildly intrigued after having just watched practice- there was definitely a lot wrong with the way they were doing things for sure. The fact that they were at least cognizant of this was good.
"Still," the prince said, "I'm rather relieved, Briar."
"How so your highness?"
"That you still hold your brother in such high esteem, I assure you even though he's been run rather ragged this month, he's been in terribly high spirits knowing you were arriving. I envy your relationship."
My shoulders slacked a little in my own relief. I don't know why I doubted him. He had written in his letters that he was looking forward to my arrival but as mother had once pointed out, it was so hard to gauge his tone or pick up subtext through his loopy handwritting and formal writing style.
There was a time when we were a lot younger that he had felt like he was falling a little bit into my shadow. Obviously we had worked through that and he had come into his own reputation back home. I just couldn't help but fear that once he'd arrived in the castle and learned what it was like to be the only Bell, that he would enjoy the spotlight and not want me intruding.
Eden wasn't like that though. I was doing him a discourtesy with these thoughts.
"Well you two haven't changed too much either," I pointed out to the two princes.
"Well," Lucas said with a pout, "surely you think we've changed a little."
"I guess," I said, not quite knowing what he was getting at.
"I still can't believe you thought we were both girls when you first met us!" The younger prince whined.
I could see Clara trembling behind them in an attempt to hold back laughter.
"I bet you wouldn't make that mistake anymore," he grinned.
I smiled rigidly because... I absolutely might have if I hadn't already known them. These two boys were still somehow the most beautiful and androgynous things I had ever seen. They'd make two hella fishy queens on Ru Paul's.
"Certainly not," I said and was madly impressed with how I managed to say that as if I meant it. Changing the topic back, I sighed. "Well if Eden's busy, I won't hunt him down."
"On the contrary," Luther said, "He was to attend as soon as he finished up his last bit of business. I would assume he shall be making his appearance back at the party any time now- as should we if you would excuse our leave, we must change."
Gwen curtsied deeply. "It has filled my heart to see you again, your highness. I do hope you come find me later so that we may chat."
Luther nodded noncommittally and he and his brother left.
Clara seemed to relax immediately. "I guess I should return to my quarters as well to be re-outfitted."
"See to it that you do," Gwen said, "It would be unseemly to enter the party dressed like that."
"Um," Clara said and she fidgeted awkwardly. "I apologize if it seemed that I lost my temper before. It... has not been easy... as the only female knight. While we are friends and I take no offense to 'ribbing' as Briar calls it, I hope you both can appreciate that I cannot afford to be teased in front of other knights or soldiers."
It wasn't surprising, but it was disappointing. Just because she managed to fight her way into knighthood didn't mean she wasn't going to be given an incredibly tough time about it.
Gwen and I both solemnly agreed, reading a lot into everything she wasn't saying about her experiences in her new job. We had both seen how that knight instructor treated her all those years ago, it was hard to believe times had changed that quickly.
We ended up all splitting ways, Gwen to make her social rounds- something necessary for the prince's fiancé and me to go look more for my brother.
It took quite a while of wandering, in which I strayed further and further from the party once again until I finally heard a familiar voice around the corner of one of the buildings.
I rounded it immediately to find Eden chatting with a few of the men at arms.
"EDEN."
He turned in surprise and then a wide grin broke across his face. "BRIAR!"
I practically leapt on him and threw my arms around him, he stumbled back a few steps but laughed.
"Every day, I still have a hard time believing you two are actually nobles," one of the guardsmen said.
I pulled back to look at him and gawked. "Tommy?! What?!"
Bratty little Tommy was all grown up, his messy Ron Weasley hair was cropped so short I didn't recognize him from behind. The constellations of freckles on his face and neck still remained however.
On closer inspection, the other two men were unmistakably the twins from back home as well. I opened my mouth to acknowledge them but shut it in embarrassment that I still didn't technically know which was which. "Hey guys~" I added weakly.
The twin with the longer hair pulled into a small pigtail pointed to himself "Adam," then he gestured to his brother, "Alexander."
"Right," I said apologetically, "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be," Adam joked. 'We knew that you never learned our names, so we kind of did everything in our power back then to make sure you didn't pick them up as a private joke."
I laughed. "You guys were such little assholes."
"Guilty," Alexander snickered.
"You all work for the military now?" I asked.
"Yeah we all enlisted together three years ago," Tommy replied casually as if that didn't imply they had been LITERAL child soldiers.
"No wonder I hadn't seen you guys around at all," I said. "I was wondering what happened, you were never at the market anymore." I glanced between them and Eden, "Do you all meet up often?"
"No," Tommy said. "We were just giving Eden here a hard time about it! The fact that we've been here this long and this is the first time we're seeing him!" He pulled Eden into a headlock which he'd never be able to break out of on his own. "Do you ever even go outside or are you a complete castle dweller now? You're looking a little pasty m'lord!" He noogied Eden's tidy gelled-back hair.
Eden smiled a little despite being awkwardly hunched over. "Well, I have a lot of work to attend to on the day-to-day so I don't always get the opportunity to..." He admitted.
"At least try to walk a bit," Aexander teased, bending a bit to look him in the eye. "You're skinnier than your sister!"
"STOP THAT AT ONCE!"
We all froze and Tommy immediately let go of Eden, likely remembering in an instant our differences in status and how easily he could be discharged for his insolence.
It was Viola who came rushing up to us. "Bullying is wrong!" She announced self-righteously.
The boys glanced at each other nervously. "We weren't-"
She inserted herself between them and Eden and held out her arms protectively. "Your actions are a deplorable reflection on the royal guard! If you don't leave immediately, I will report this!"
Unable to refute a noblewoman, (that wasn't me I guess) the guys awkwardly shuffled off mumbling fake apologies as they went.
"Uh, see you guys around," Tommy said lamely over his shoulder.
Viola turned to Eden and quickly took to scuffing invisible dirt off of his blazer. Eden and I exchanged a confused look.
"Are you alright-" the words died in her mouth upon finally looking up at Eden's face.
"Y-you are Eden Bell right?" She asked in disbelief.
"Yes, that would be me," Eden agreed. "I'm sorry I think there was a misunderstanding. While I appreciate your attempt to rescue me, those men were childhood friends from my county... They were just joking around but I understand how it looked." He gave her a gigawatt smile. "That was very kind of you miss."
She just looked like someone had slapped her in the face with a fish. Gobsmacked. "You... appreciate it?" She asked as if that were the weirdest thing he could have possibly said.
He laughed and scratched the back of his head, "Um, the sentiment anyway. Again, they were just my friends."
"That's quite an interesting piercing you have there..." she said.
Eden let his hand run over the dangling sapphire under his left ear. "Ah yes, my sister, Briar here, had bought it for me a while back... We're actually half Sihbarian."
Viola turned slowly to stare at me. I could tell she was fuming.
"Your sister?" She said evenly.
"Have you two been acquainted?" Eden asked.
"Eden," I said. "This is Viola Doyle, the Priestess of Heart."
"Oh!" Eden said and turned to Viola with a large appreciative smile. "I'm so sorry, I should have recognized your garb! Thank you so much for keeping my sister safe at your Goddess Ceremonies!"
I repressed a snort.
Viola looked at him as if he were an alien.
"Eden! Briar!" I was Prince Luther, now elaborately dressed in his ceremonial uniform and regalia. "It seems you two have finally found one and other. I'm glad!"
The prince looked at Viola. "Oh my, you must be the priestess of heart." He took her hand and kissed her knuckles with a gentleman's grace. "It is good to make your acquaintance. We are pleased to have you in attendance."
Viola blushed furiously, unable to speak.
This was not a reaction Prince Luther was unaccustomed to. "Yes, well... I do hope you enjoy your stay for the duration of this ceremony.
He turned to me and Eden regretfully. "I'm afraid I will have to borrow Eden after all. I apologize since I am aware of how eager you two were to meet again."
"Has something come up?" Eden asked in surprise.
Luther nodded. "He has arrived a little earlier that we were expecting. I thought you might be the most appropriate person to greet him given your history."
Eden nodded. "Yes of course! I always intended to- Is he at the front gates? I'll go immediately."
The Prince gave him an appreciative smile. "There's a few other matters we must discuss, I will walk with you."
Luther turned to Viola and I and we were both hit with that dazzling princely beam that I still think he uses his light magic to pull off. "Ladies, I hope you continue to enjoy yourselves today."
They had barely departed when Viola spun on me. "What the hell?!"
"What?"
"What is going on? What could you have possibly done to the tsundere character to make him so different? He doesn't look or talk like the Eden from the game!"
I was confused and then a cold understanding swept over me. "The Eden... from the game?"
Eden was... a capture target. Someone destined to fall hopelessly in love with Viola. Frankly this was upsetting. I had intended to help her out a little but... I don't think I could bring myself to set her up with my brother. Not only did I think Eden deserved a little better, I don't think I could stand the idea of this girl entering my family.
"I almost didn't even recognize him. This was supposed to be his first flag event where the heroine saves him from being bullied by soldiers!"
"He wasn't being bullied though, they're guys from back home..."
"Exactly! I hate to break this too you but your father is corrupt! Your family has been taxing the lower class to complete poverty for years! They're supposed to despise you both!" Viola said.
"That's not true-" I tried to say.
She rolled her eyes. "Don't be naïve! I hadn't put together you were his sister because Eden never mentions her in the game. I don't understand what happened, he's not being true to his character at all! He's supposed to be more guarded and bitter with life!"
I pursed my lips.
"He was supposed to get embarrassed at having to be saved and lash out at the heroine just now! He wasn't supposed to show his dere to anyone but her after she slowly coaxes it out over time!"
Coax out his what now? Girl you nasty.
"And now my meeting with the Prince is ruined too!" She whined.
I didn't point out that she fully ruined that herself.
"And WHY in the Goddess' name are the two of them so close?" She added, throwing her arms up in defeat.
"Well he is the Prince's aide... It would be shocking if they didn't know each other at least that well..."
"The prince's aide?" She spluttered. "He's not supposed to be the prince's aide! He is an unrecognized genius who is constantly overlooked! That's his whole thing! I'm the first person in his life who's supposed to see that!"
"He earned it," I said cooly. "When he fixed the tax corruption in our fief. I didn't do anything."
"OH my GOD!" She said, finally fully losing her cool. "OF COURSE YOU DID! If you didn't do anything things would be going right! What have you done, this is all wrong! Is this all just a game to you? How can you not realize how much trouble we're all in right now? We're going to war with the demons and I was supposed to be the only one who could stop it! Now I don't even know if that's possible!"
"Sorry," I lied.
She sighed. "Just...You'll help me fix this with Eden right?" She sent me a challenging look, daring me to give her any response other than yes.
Dare accepted. "No."
"No?" She asked in outrage. "You once said you were here to help me! Were you lying?"
"I wasn't lying," I said calmly. "I've just changed my mind. You're the one literally treating this life as a game. My brother is not a character, he's a person. The fact that you are upset that he is happy and didn't have some tortured upbringing because you wanted to use that in order to manipulate him into falling in love with you makes you a Goddamn sociopath."
She clenched her fists in indignation. "I'm just doing what the Goddess tasked me to. Why can't you see that?"
"Well then pick another guy," I said crossing my arms. "Move along."
"Act righteous now," she said. "It'll be your fault when our country falls to ruin." She started to walk away but paused. "Because you were being difficult I wasn't going to give you this warning but luckily for you I'm kind."
"What is it Viola?" I asked, rolling my eyes.
"There's no point getting too close to Clara. She's going to die anyway."
I sobered up entirely. "W-what?"
"In the great battle where the heroine obliterates the demon army," she started, "Before that happens, we're very clearly losing. Most of the foot soldiers fall in the background to demon wolves and humanoid monsters. You can clearly see a body with neon blue hair dead underneath a hunched-over goblin."
My legs almost buckled.